What seems to become more and more apparent to day to day users of next-generation gaming consoles is now reaching a more public level: the Playstation 3 is losing. Not only that, it is losing to the Wii.

It may come as a shock that Sony’s Playstation 3, the console many feel is best-suited for the name “next generation console,” is falling behind its competition. In fact, it is falling behind to both of its competitors, the Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii.

Sony’s sold approximately 127,000 Playstations in the month of February, which was surpassed by Xbox 360 (228,000) and Wii (335,000). That puts Sony behind Microsoft almost 2-1 and Nintendo, a daunting 3-1.

Many feel that this can be attributed to the roller-coaster ride of a launch that Sony had, as well as the lack of any shining stars in its game library as of yet.

What was a frustrating shortage at launch for both fanboys and Sony has changed into a slump, as lonely Playstations wait on store shelves for buyers.

Dave Karraker of Sony Computer Entertainment notes what many greats before him have noticed: “I chuckle when you say we are in trouble, because when you couldn’t find them on shelves, some said we were in trouble…so we’re damned if we do, and damned if we don’t.” A solid observation, by all accounts.

However, there is more at stake for Sony than just the perceived success of its next-gen console. The future of Blu-ray, its supported high definition drive that is built into nearly all Playstation 3’s, rests squarely on the console’s shoulders.

Though Blu-Ray players are becoming more affordable (for those who can afford $600 dollars on a disc player), many who are interested in purchasing a Blu-ray player feel that for $600, they might as well get the whole Playstation package.

Unless Blu-ray player prices drop below that of the Playstation 3, both Blu-ray and Playstation’s futures are fatally linked. Of this, Sony is well aware.

It may be worth noting that perhaps Sony’s perceived failures were not failures at all, but simply a stronger performance from the silent killer, Nintendo (did I really just say that?). The numbers reflect meager sales, yes, but that is not exclusive to Sony; Microsoft is also losing in the next-gen console race.

It would be unfair to single out Sony, though their numbers do bring up the rear end of the monthly sales statistics. How is it that the two systems most critics regarded to be the dominant forces in the next-gen console war are looking at the green grass on Nintendo’s side of the fence?

In my opinion, there are a few key factors that have thrust Nintendo to the forefront:

1. Price. at $250 US, the Nintendo Wii is the cheapest next-gen system in the runnings at this point. This means that, no matter how pretty the Xbox and Playstation graphics are, more people are willing to spend less money to play something new.

2. Broad appeal. As much as we fanboys would like to think we can coax our girlfriends into joining us for a rousing round of Halo or Final Fantasy, we know that lasts for about 3 minutes. However, in my experience with Wii usage, I have yet to meet an individual, male or female, older or younger person, that has refused to take a shot at Wii Bowling. Not only that, everyone I have known to use a Wii has enjoyed it.

That being the case, the Wii makes for a great entertainment tool for many different occasions, whether that be relaxing in your living room or entertaining friends before a night on the town.

3. Ease of use. This hits on the last point, but is also individual. The Wiimote is so peculiar that no one feels pressured to master the controller immediately. The oddness of the device draws people normally afraid of attempting video games (due to 83 buttons, joysticks, etc.) to try the console. No one feels pressured to perform well, because the games are not very demanding.

That being said, we would like to hear what you readers have to say. Do you feel Nintendo will maintain its dominance? Do you feel it is dominating? If so (or not), what factors will change the futures of the systems?

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Entry was posted on Monday, March 19th, 2007 at 9:56 pm under Technology.

Read more entries by Triston McIntyre.
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